Ride Like the Wind

Chapter 4

Botan stood outside and yawned as she watched the sun rise. She saw someone walking by. "Hm...? Hiei? You're up early today!"

"I kinda have to wake up early," Hiei growled still walking past her.

"Hey, but your house is that way!" She pointed towards the opposite direction Hiei was walking in. "How can you go working if you're not at your field!"

"Who said I was working?"

"When'd you turn into such a bum?"

"I'm not gonna sit on my lazy ass all day. I'm leaving town."

"Why?"

"I know where she is. I don't need to stay here and wonder where to look. Since Juarez id dead, I can go find her now. It makes sense."

"But you didn't know she was there until two years ago. What makes you think she'll know you exist? And when you find her, then what?"

"I dunno. Why should I say anything? You know people hate me here, so would she be any different? I'll just stay in her town and..."

"And Shuichi?"

"What about him?" He turned around and frowned at her.

"I dunno. He would probably wanna find you if..."

"Why the hell would he do that? He could go all the way to Mexico from San Francisco. Why can't he stay by himself? What are you implying?"

"I dunno. I think he might wanna come too..."

"Are you saying he's a..."

"No. It's just that... You know. I told him. About your parents and stuff."

"That crap?" He turned his back to her again. "He doesn't need to know about that. You don't know how wrong all of that is..." And he walked away without saying another word.

Botan sighed. "You'll see him soon." Besides... He doesn't know that that's why people cared...

---

"Why don't you just help Hiei instead if you figure it'll take you more'n a year to stop?" Rinku asked. "That makes more sense."

Shuichi plopped on the porch and was greeted by Paco, who was rubbing against his legs. "I'm not really sure about this whole thing... Besides, I think I'd rather talk to you than hear Hiei curse every five minutes."

"I guess..." Rinku blinked and pointed to something behind Shuichi. "Isn't that his tools?"

"Huh?" He looked over his shoulder. "Yeah... They are... How's he expect to work without his tools?"

"Maybe he's still asleep?"

"Rinku, I would doubt it if Hiei were still asleep at two o'clock in the afternoon. I swore I heard him get up this morning."

"Maybe he had to take a pee?"

"Okay and I would have heard him come back in."

"...Maybe he fell asleep right after?"

"...There's an idea... But I doubt that." Shuichi stared at the sky in thought. "He can't work without tools. I wonder..."

"Maybe he's planting more stuff. It's spring, after all..."

"Huh. Never thought about that. Wanna go check?"

Rinku shrugged. "Sure."

---

They came there in fives minutes to see there was no one there except for a few crows waiting to get some crops.

"So much for that idea..." Rinku sighed with disappointment.

Shuichi stared at the small field and thought about where Hiei could be. He knew for certain that Hiei wasn't at home, otherwise he would have heard the small demon come back into the house and he wasn't in the field... Where is he? Could he have left to take this mayor out, too?

"Hey, Rinku. You know that girl from yesterday? What's her name?" Shuichi asked.

"Oh, Botan? Why?" Rinku asked.

"You have any ideas where she could be?"

"Uh... At home, I guess. Why?" He was starting to get confused.

"You know where she lives?"

"Yeah. But.. What're you playing to do to her?"

"I dunno! I'll see you later!" He ran away. Something tells me she might know where Hiei is. And that something tells me that Hiei might've left town...

Rinku, who was watching him run away thought, I thought he didn't know where she lives... There goes the dynamic moment...

Shuichi kept running, not even knowing where he was going. Suddenly, he crashed into someone- Botan. "Ow... Sorry I was..."

"It's all right..." Botan laughed it off and helped him up. "So where's the fire?"

"Well, Hiei's gone. It's just weird that he would just suddenly disappear like that! I figured that you would know where he is!"

I knew this would happen...Botan thought with little surprise as she replied, "Well, yeah. Since you're such a nice guy I'll tell you where he's going. He's looking for his sister."

"He has a sister?"

"Yeah, that's what I said, too. Well... She lives in the northeast. Really close to the border. It's really close to Laredo. But knowing Hiei, he would get east and west confused. He still gets left and right confused and he's supposed to be the straight A student..."

"Okay! I'll see you later!" Shuichi ran away. His sister? Why did he say he was the only one left if he has a sister? Why isn't she here, anyway? What's going on?

---

Hiei stopped and frowned at the horizon, scratching his head in irritation. Damn it. Which way was east again? Was it to the left or the right? Wait... It's to the right. Which way's right again? Damn. Damn. DAMN! Maybe I should've brought Shuichi so he could help me out...

There was the sound of someone panting coming closer. Hiei looked over his shoulder to see the source of the noise and saw Shuichi, who was starting to lose his breath.

"Hiei!" Shuichi cried out with the little breath he had.

"What the hell?" Hiei blinked twice. "How the hell'd you find me? And while we're still on the subject, why the hell're you following me?"

"I... I dunno! Botan told me where you were going! So I came!"

Man, she's gotta big mouth... Hiei thought in even more irritation. "Okay. Well, you ever consider that maybe I didn't want you to come? Maybe I only wanted you to be here to help me figure out with way's to the right, but that's it."

"You...! Wait, you still get them confused?" Shuichi shook his head at that.

"Shut up! Go back to Gueroro!"

"Why can't I go with you?"

"Because...! Why am I arguing with you?" He sighed. Now he was starting to get a head ache. "Why do you always wanna follow me?"

"Well, last time I had no choice. You were taking me to the mayor."

"Okay, you got me there. Look. Maybe I wanted to go alone. You consider that?" He crossed his arms. "God, I'm learning to hate you so much."

Shuichi felt hurt, but he realized that he really didn't stop to think why Hiei went alone. "Okay. I'll go..."

"Yeah, and never come back, you bitch!" Hiei flipped him off.

Shuichi frowned and then realized his weapon. He replied in a sing-song voice, "Sure Hiei, then you'll nev-er know which way's east..."

Hiei groaned. "You bastard. You can just go to hell."

"Okay... Bye bye!" He waved to Hiei mockingly as he walked away.

"OKAY! Wait!"

"What is it?" Still in the sing-song voice.

"Which way's east?"

"I'm not telling!"

"Would you tell if I let you come?"

"No. I was just playing." He pointed east. "That way. Won't do you much good just going northeast."

"You know the way there?"

"Sure. Someone once told me how to get around for some reaso- AIYA!" Shuichi was starting to get dragged away by Hiei.

"All right! You're coming with me then!"

"AIYA! HELP ME HELP ME!"

---

"I guess it would help if we knew where we are..." Hiei sweat dropped late that night as he lit the fire.

"Hey, Hiei..." Shuichi said.

"What?"

"Why do you hate Americans?"

"You people just suck."

"So I guess I do halfway then, huh?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I'm half. My father was Japanese and my mother came to California from Delaware. I guess I'm better off saying I'm still Mexican though. I was born in California when it was still Mexico... You ever been to America?"

"...Yeah. 'Til I was five. I'm half Mexican."

"You are?"

"On my mom's side. All I'm telling you."

"So... Why isn't your sister here?"

"She told you that, too?"

He nodded.

"Not telling. Why're you following me anyway?"

"I dunno. I guess I have no one else to turn to..."

"You're full of crap." He rolled over and started to fall asleep.

"Hey, Hiei?"

"What now?"

"How long do you figure until they cross the Rio Grande?"

"Years, months. I don't care."

"At least I made it last a bit..." Shuichi smile and started to fall asleep, too.

Weird kid... Hiei thought. I wonder about him sometimes...

He didn't think more about it as he slowly drifted off to sleep...

End chapter 4

Notes:

1. "It's really close to Laredo."- Nuevo Laredo, called Laredo because people are too lazy to call it Nuevo Laredo. I'll assume it still was called that back then. I mean in Mexico. It's just on the border and close to Texas.
2. "I was born in California went it was still Mexico."- California was admitted into the Union in 1850. Shuichi would be born in 1833, therefore making him Mexican.

I forgot to mention in the last few chapters why I call Kurama Shuichi. Well, it pretty much explains itself later. It's not because I have this thing against calling Kurama Kurama. Okay?

Review please!